Support for link-mesh fabric



y Q MQ. `v @999999 1 F. H. LYNDS SUPPORT FOR LINK MESH FABRIC i June 17, 1921 Patented Oct. 9, i923.

FRED HARRIS LYNDS, OF NORTH A'TLTIEl-i, YSSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 VVHIT- ING & DAVIS COMPANY, CORP@ snrron'r non itin,

TIGN" OF VIASSACHUSETTS.

reisinfo.

Application filed .Tune 17, y1921...A Serial lio. 478,236.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED HARRIS LYNDS, a citizen of the United States, residing' at North Attleboro, in the county of Bristol, State of Massachusetts, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Supports for Link-Mesh Fabric; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art' to which-it appertains to make and u'se the same. This invention relates to 'a device for supporting link mesh fabric, as for example, in a machine to feed the fabric` to tools and hold it in position while the latter operate on the fabric to perform their functions.

In machines for making link mesh fahric, whether in the flat or in the forni of a sleeve, a support is provided for holding` the fabric and feeding it to dies or link forniing tools, usually in a step by step movement, to present successive rows of links to the tools for the addition of new rows of links in the making of the fabric. lThe links of Ithe fabric to which new links are added must be accurately positioned in theV path of the tools, and this necessitates providing the support with some means for preventing shifting of the fabric, not' only `during the feeding movement but also whiley the link forming tools operate to form links and add them to the fabric. lt has heretofore been the practice to provide the face of the support Awith such *means to prevent relative movement between the support and the mesh fabric, or the shifting o f the latter, consisting of rowsof ridges and depressions extending in straight lines across the face of the support. Thus., in machines of the character wherein the link mesh is made in the forni of al sleeve, illusti'ated and described, for example, lin Letters Patent Nos. 948,615, 1,028,904 and 1,144,724, issued Feb, 8, 1910, June 11,;1912, and June 29, 1915, respectiively,rto C. Pratt, the mesh fabric is supported on'a mandrel, the face or surface of which, is fluted, or in other words, provided withalternate rows of ridges and depressions extending in straight lines longitudinally of the mandrel. Alsoin machines forperforming various other operations vou link :mesh

support. f T he support for t-lie fabric in uring machines, machines for cutting out shapes or articles from mesh fabric, as for instancevlink mesh bags, or machines for inending link mesh, supports for the fabric are required, and in 'order that the fabric Vmaybe fii-'mly'gripped and raccurately fed t'o the tools for performing these operations,

it'is essential that the face of the support ,1

provided with means for preventing relative movement between the fabric and the y l the Various machines above specified is usually in the form of roll, and it has heretofore been the practice to provide the face of the roll 'has been'common to employ pressure rollers to hold the fabric against the face of the ysupportfto insure interlocking engagement between the fabric and the roll. Such gripping devices have, in the main, proven quite s`atisfacitorybut whether for use in a machine for making link mesh, or in machines where even greater firmness of support and 'precision in feeding the fabric are desirable, .as in linkmeasuring, cutting or mending machines, Ia support made in accordance with the present invention has been found to be more dependable and to give more uniform and Aaccurate results.

@In accordance with thisv invention the face ofthe support for receiving the link 'mesh fabric is cut to simulate the surface of the link mesh so that the fabric is gripped by the face of the support and rmly 'hold against movement relative to it, or

shifting in any direction. The face of the support, ythe latter usually being in the form ofa cylinder or roll, is provided with a plurality of depressions extending in rows across the support, the depressions prefer:

ably being `curved and also having laterally vextending branches therefrom to receive fportions of the links of the fabric. In one arrangement, the depressions are inter-coniected to form grooves across the support which are separated by ridges, the grooves and ridgesbeing complemeiital to the ridges fabric, such for instance as link mesh measand depressionsk formed bythe links of the ceptacles for receiving a portion of each ofl` the links of the fabric across its width and over the area of contact between the fabric and the support. When the mesh fabric is laid upon the support and moved across its face, portions of the links enter `the grooves formed by the depressions and lodge in the inclined depressions or receptacles which firmly grip the'links and hold the fabric against any movement relative to the support, and thus there can be no'` shifting of the fabric as it is fedforward, for l.eX- ample, to tools for forming links, or cutting them or for any other operation whichmay be performed-on the fabric.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a roll for supporting a piece of link mesh fabric, a portion of the face of which is shown bearing an impression of the surface of the fabric;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view ofthe roll shown in Figure 1, along the'line 2 2;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the roll along the line 3 3v of Figure 1;

Figure 4 represents a piece of link mesh fabric on an enlarged scale; Y

Figure 5 represents a development of the gripping means on the roll shown onan enlargec scale; p

Figure 6 is a View along the line 6 6 0f Figure 5, and Y Figure 7 is a view along` the line 7 7 of Figure 5.

Figure 1 represents a cylinder, or roll 8 such as is commonly used in link-mesh machines for supporting a piece of link mesh fabric 9 and feeding the links thereof to tools for carrying out various operations, such as the formation of links, o r the cutting, measuring and mending of links. The face 10 of the roll is provided with gripping means 11 to prevent slipping', or movement of the link mesh fabric relative to the roll,

on which it is supported. The gripping means 11, a small portion of which is illustrated in Figure 1, covers the entire surface ofthe roll, its width being usually equal to the width ofthe mesh fabric which the roll is to carry, and consists of a plurality of curved depressions interconnected to form grooves 12 which are separated by ridges 13 thus simulating` the surface piesented b v the link mesh fabric. The grooves 12 are cut in the face of the roll at an angle of approximately 45 to normal, as illustrated in Figures 2v and 3, corresponding to the inclinations of the links of the fabric, alternate rows of Agrooves being oppositely inclined in the saine manner as alternate rows of links.

The formation of the grooves 12 and ridges 13 is illustrated on an enlarged scale in. Figure 5, representing an impression of the link mesh fabric cut in the surface of a i'iat `plate that `rmay serve as a. support for holding the fabric while any desired operation is performed. Figure lsei'ves to illustrate a`development of the gripping means 11 on they faceof the roll 8. 4

As shownin'Figure 5 the grooves 12 and ridges 13 are of a formation such as to simulate the surface-of the vpiece of link meshfabrierepresented in Figure 4. The grooves 12 may be considered to consist of a plurality of ycurved link receptacles 14 having laterallv extending branches 15 for receiving portions of each of vthe links. rvAs illustrated in Figure 6, the links of the section of mesh fabric represented in Figure 4, along the line 6 6, are inclined in one direction as shown. l 1n Figure 6 the links along the line 6 6 are represented in place in the grooves 12, each link fitting in one of the curved, inclined link receptacles 14 and its branches 15. As shown in Figure 7, the links yof the section of linkv meshv in Figure 4, along the line 7 7, are inclined in the opposite direction,` and Figure 7 represents the links along this line in position vin thel'grooves 12- which are inclined oppositely to the grooves in Figure 6 to correspond tothe inclination of the links of this row, the individual links being shown in place in their'respective link receptacles 14 and branches 15. It will be evident that if the'se'ction' of mesh fabric shown in Figure 4` is'pla'ced lon the face of the fiat plate shown inv Figure 5, and the mesh is moved or adjusted slightly over the face ofthe lplate,"the various rows of links will enter the grooves '12, andthe individual links of each` row will enter the various link receptacles 14, each of the latter receiving a portion of a link thus firmly gripping the fabric to resist relative movement between the fabric and the plate.

, I claiin:

1. A support for a piece of link mesh fabric having aface for receiving the link mesh which' is cutto simulate the surface of vthe link mesh thereby to grip the latterV and resist relative movement between the fabric andthe support. 2. A supportv for a piece of link mesh fabric having a face provided with a plurality of depressions each curved in semi-circular formto correspond to the links of the fabric and forming receptacles for the latter.

y3. A support for a piece of link mesh fabric having a face provided with a plurality of depressions each curved in ring- 4like form to correspond to the links of the fabric and arranged in rows across the sup port for receiving the links, substantially as described.

4. A support for a piece of link mesh fabric having a face provided with a plurality of ring-shaped depressions connected together to form grooves across the support.

5. A support for a piece of link mesh fabric having a face provided with a plurality of semi-circular depressions simulating the surface of the fabric for receiving links of the fabric.

6. A support for a piece of link mesh fabric having a face for receiving the link mesh which is provided' with a plurality of semi-circular depressions interconnected to form grooves across the support alternating with ridges, said grooves and ridges being complemental to the ridges and depressions formed by the links of the fabric.

7. A support for a piece of link mesh fabric having a face provided with depressions arranged in rows across the support, each depression of each row being adapted to receive a portion of a link, said depressions being formed to simulate the surface of the fabric.

8. A support for a piece of link mesh fabric having a face provided with depressions arranged in rows across the support, each depression of each row having branches extending laterally therefrom and being adapted to receive a portion of a link.

9. A support for a piece of link mesh fabric having a face which is provided with a plurality of grooves 4cut at an angle to the surface of the support to correspond with the inclination of the links of the. fabric.

l0. A support for a piece of link meshx fabric having a face provided with a plurality of` curved depressions for receiving links of the fabric, said depressions being cut at an angle to the surface of the support correspondingto the inclination of the links.

11. A support for a piece of link mesh fabric having a face provided with a plurality of curved depressions interconnected to form grooves across the support, alternate grooves being oppositely inclined to the face of the support to correspond to the inclination of the links of the fabric.

l2. A support for a piece of link mesh fabric having a face provided with a plurality of curved depressions having laterally extending branches. therefrom, said depressions and branches being arranged across the support forming a plurality of rows of link receptacles for receiving portions of the links of the fabric thereby to grip the latter and resist relative movement between the fabric and the support.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRED HARRIS LYNDS. 

